Neighbours along MacPherson Drive in East Ferris noticed a few more dump trucks than usual these past days, as work began on September 6 to remove a spill from the gravel on One Mile Road.
“The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks takes all spills to the environment very seriously,” noted George Lajeunesse, a Project Coordinator with the Ministry. “The ministry’s role is to oversee clean-up efforts to ensure environmental impacts are properly addressed.”
The spill was small and most likely came from a broken hydraulic line on some heavy equipment that was working construction on the road. The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks was on site to assess the damage.
Degagne Aggregates was brought in to clean the minor spill and all work was expected to be completed by Thursday, September 7th. The company was not responsible for the spilt fluid.
“The ministry attended the site to assess the spill and confirmed that the responsible party, A&S Towing, is taking action to clean up the spill,” the Ministry added.
Where the leak was located, the crew dug down about eight feet to remove the soil below the spilled fluid. The ditch was also dug out to ensure nothing seeped down the road. There is mostly clay along the ditch which helps to control further seepage.
The soil exposed to the leak was trucked out to the East Ferris landfill. Tests were taken throughout the day to ensure the site remains safe and all fluid was removed.
East Ferris’ Chief Administrative Officer, Jason Trottier, noted that in cases of spills, the Ministry takes over the case. The Ministry was in touch with the Municipality to ask some questions, but moved along once it found the Municipality had nothing to do with the leak.
“We will continue to monitor the progress to ensure the cleanup is completed,” Lajeunesse explained, adding, “there is no indication that the spill poses a risk to the environment.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
